About the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement

Our Vision

Creating an informed, empathetic, and involved society.

Our Mission

We open the door to democracy by supporting teachers, empowering students, and engaging the community for a more educated Nevada. 

Our Values

We believe in service above self.

We practice and promote integrity and civility.

We champion student-centered experiences.

We are nonpartisan.

Our History

Founding the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement 

The Nevada Center for Civic Engagement (NVCCE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the study of law, civics and history; its mission is enabling Nevada Citizens to understand, and work within, the democratic principles governing our nation. With assistance from dedicated supporters, the NVCCE has become a strong presence in schools throughout Nevada, where its programs and curriculum are great assets in educating young people and preparing students to become active and effective participants in representative government. The NVCCE’s roster of Inquiry Based Civics and History Community Based Learning Programs (on the elementary, middle and high school levels) includes We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution (WTP); Project Citizen; National History Day in Nevada; and Law Day.

Originally, these programs were funded by the U.S. Congress through the Center for Civic Education (CCE); however, in 2011 that funding ended. All government funding for the programs was eliminated, and the Center’s programs, both national and local, were threatened. That year, The State Bar of Nevada (SBN) stepped in to sponsor We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution throughout the state. Though a great help, supporters of the WTP program knew this was only a stop-gap measure and it wasn’t long before they began seeking a long-term solution to their funding problems. This turned out to be a necessary step. The SBN began cutting its funding in 2012, discontinuing its support of Project Citizen in 2013, at which time it also greatly reduced its sponsorship of WTP. Current NVCCE Executive Director Kathleen Dickinson (then coordinating these programs for the SBN) did her best to continue supporting Project Citizen and WTP, but a permanent solution was desperately needed. In 2014, District 2 Coordinator Marc Picker, Washoe County School District Social Studies Coordinator Angela Orr, Truckee Meadows Community College Dean Dr. Fred Lokken and Public Policy Advocate Shane Piccinini began discussing possible options to ensure the future of WTP in Nevada. Ultimately, establishing the Nevada Center for Civic Engagement was that solution.

In 2016, supporters helped to organize the NVCCE as a Nevada non-profit corporation; it obtained 501(c)(3) status in July 2017, under founding president Marc Picker, treasurer Dr. Fred Lokken, Secretary Angela Orr and board member Shane Piccinini. In the same year, NVCCE expanded its reach statewide, adding strong and influential supporters including University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) professor Dr. Michael Green (who became co-president with Marc Picker), College of Southern Nevada Professor Dr. Sondra Cosgrove, UNLV professor Dr. David Tanenhaus, former State Treasurer Robert Seale, former Nevada Assemblyman Lynn Stewart, Supreme Court Justice Elissa Cadish (a district judge at the time), District Judge Michael Montero and Andrew Mackay. Also in 2017, with the assistance of District 2 Coordinator Will Hull and District 3 coordinator Anthony Miller, the NVCCE greatly increased its online profile by creating a website and Facebook pages for both the organization and for Nevada We the People. This virtual presence gave the organization a greater visibility, and the NVCCE has continued to move forward in cyberspace with virtual WTP training sessions and competitions, created by Program Director Christine Hull. Though the idea behind these virtual events was originally to cut the cost and inconvenience of travel, they ultimately allowed the NVCCE to thrive during COVID.

In 2019, the NVCCE took over full responsibility for WTP and the other programs originally sponsored by the Center for Civic Education; it also took on the administration of Nevada’s National History Day program-- and finally arrived at a solution to its most pressing funding concerns. In March of that year, the NVCCE’s teachers, students and advocates testified to the Nevada Legislature in favor of SB193, primarily sponsored by State Senator Joyce Woodhouse. SB193 provided the funding the NVCCE needed to operate We the People in Nevada. The bill carried 22 sponsors and passed unanimously in both houses of the Nevada Legislature. This provided a stable funding source that the organization’s founders had been seeking for more than five years.

For more information on the NVCCE’s programs, and to find out how you can get involved visit our programs overview page.